This invention relates in general to envelope processing machinery and deals more particularly with an improved envelope opening machine and with an improved extractor for removing contents from envelopes.
The large volume of business reply mail being handled today has created the need for automatic envelope processing machinery capable of processing large volumes of business reply envelopes to rapidly open envelopes and to remove and separate contents thereof. The general purpose of the present invention is to provide improved machines of the aforedescribed general type which open envelopes or which removes and separates contents from envelopes. The envelopes remain in one piece after being opened or being separated from the contents thereof to minimize production of scrap paper. A further aim of the invention is to provide an improved extractor for processing envelopes and which verifies that the contents have been removed from each envelope before the envelope is conveyed by the machine to a waste receptacle or the like. The extractor of the present invention is capable of compensating for minor variations in the dimensions of standard envelopes, as for example, folding errors which may have occurred during envelope manufacture so that such envelopes will not jam in the machine causing interruption in production.